Moving-picture screen for use in connection with sound pictures



Dec. 16, 1930. I w. J. SCHOONMAKER 1,785,330

MOVING PICTURE SCREEN FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH SOUND PICTURE Filed March '7. 1929 ATIORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1930 I w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J. SCHOONMAKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MOVING-PICTURE SCREEN FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH SOUND PICTURES Applicationfiled-Maroh 7, 1929. Serial No. 345,032.

This invention relates to new and useful light through the screen from the projector improvements in sound picture screens of the in front of the screen. class adapted for the reproduction of talking It is proposed that the invention should pictures, and it has been an object of this make use of a plurality of adjacent warp invention to present a creation along this line strips interwoven with a plurality of spaced or rather an embodiment of ideas and princiweft strips so that a plurality of air passages pl'es, whereby the cooperation of a picture exist adjacent the warp strips and between display with the reproduction of sound may the weft strips. This arrangement permits attain the desired state of perfection. the passage of air vibrations from the rear Hitherto the screens employed on the movto the front of the screen but prohibits the ing picture stage, untilthe introduction of passage of light from the front to the rear the so-called talkingfilms, were made with of the screen. one object in mind, that is, to yield the most It is thought advisable to here point out effective reflection according to the indithat sound Waves traveling through air mere- 15 vidual surroundings. ly vibrate the air and thus advance through However, as the science relativ to sounds the air while the air itself remains comparahas reached a stage where the phonetics may tively stationary. For this reason if the air be controlled and in a. certain sense embodied on the front and rear of the screen is joined as and made to cooperate with a film display, contemplated sound vibrations may readily 29 it has become incumbent to device a medium pass through the screen. Light rays travel j in theform of a screen which would offer only in straight lines though of course they suitable conditions to the passage of sounds may be reflected. Since the passages are so and at the same time avoid impairing the arranged as to prohibit a straight line connecreflection of light thrown upon the screen for tion from the direction of rays of light-northe display of a talking picture. The appamally thrown by a moving picture camera desirable results have been obtained in this ratus used for producing the sound in talkupon the front of a screen the passage of such ing pictures directs the sound upon the rear r ys through the screen is arrested.

surface of the screen and it is very essential For further comprehension of the inventhat the sound may efliciently pass through tion, and of the objects and advantage there- 30 the screen for. producing a perfect and de-' of, reference will be had to the following desirable sound effect of the characters shown scription and accompanying drawings and to on the screen. At the same time it isvery the appended claims in which the various ti l th t the li ht th upon th novel features of the invention are more parfront of the screen for showing the moving tlcularly Set v pictures should not pass through the screen In h P dl'awlngs formlng and become wasted but rather should be re- S P oi thls flected towards the audience. Figure l 1s an elevat1onal View of a frag- Through extensive experimentations most mentary i p of screen constructed cording to this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional res ect as disclosed in the resent device 1 p p View taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

which is formed with air passages communn Fin 3 is a front elevational View of a eating with the front and rearxof the screen 'fmamentary portion of a Screen constructed and closely arranged all over the entire suraccgrdinq to a further modified form of the 45 face none of the said air passages being exinventiofii 5 (P in alignment wlththe y of light Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken thrown upon the screen,'which construction on th li 7 7 f Fi 3 4 permits the passage of sound through the I Fi 1 nd 2 th reference numeral 15 screen from the sound device in back of the indicates a plurality of spaced weft strips 0 screen, but does not permit the passage of all in a common plane, and numeral 16 a plurality of Warp strips adjacent to each other and interwoven with weft strips. The weft strips preferably are spaced from each other so that portions of the warp strips lie in planes to the front and rear of the weft strips and parallel to the said common plane,

and other portions of thewarp strips lie in crossing planes positioned between the weft strips.

The crossing portions of the warp strips over and under the weft strips produce air passages 17 positioned between the weft strips and adjacent to the warp strips. These air passages cannot be seen when viewing the screen from the front or rear but in viewing the screen from the top or bottom they may be seen as clearly shown in Fig. 2 which illustrates a sectional view.

It is preferable to make the warp strips broader and thinner than the weft strips, thus producing substantially larger air spaces, and it would obviously be immaterial whether the said strips lie horizontal or vertical.

In the modified form illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the warp strips l6 are of widths substantially equal to the widths of the weft strips 15*. The warp strips 1G are adj acently positioned while the Weft strips are slightly spaced so that air passages 17 exist between the rear and the front of the screen.

\ the screen.

The material from which the various strips are made, preferably should be such as to readily reflect light as required for moving picture screens and at the same time present a surface, which will readily lend itself to a cleaning process while hung on a frame.

\Vhile I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity I realize that in practice various alterations therein may be made. I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details of construction or otherwise altering the arrangen'ient of the correlated parts without departing from the spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. A woven sound picture screen comprising a plurality of adjacent substantially rectangular warp strips interwoven with a plurality of spaced weft strips so as to produce air passages on either side of the weft strips and between the warp strips, said warp strips having adjacent edges tightly engaged with each other for providing substantial light proof seams.

' 2. A woven sound picture screen comprising a plurality of adjacent warp strips interwoven with a plurality of spaced weft strips so as to produce air passages on either side of the weft strips and between the warp strips, said warp strips being substantially rectangular in horizontal cross section.

8. Awoven sound picture screen comprising a plurality of adjacent substantially rectangular warp strips interwoven with a plurality of spaced weft strips so as to produce air passages on either side of the weft strips and between the warp strips, said warp and weft strips being of substantially unequal sizes in cross section.

4. In a device of the class 'described, a sound picture screen made by an interlacing of weft and substantially rectangular warp strips in such a manner as to leave a curvature between the said strips running in opposite direction, and forming air passages at a vertical or obtuse angle to the surface but out of alignment with rays of light striking the screen substantially horizontally.

Signed at New York citv in the count of v New York and State of New York this 5th day of March, A. D. 1929.

IVILLIAH J. SUIIOONMAKER. 

